StarBulletin.com

Victorino leads Phillies past Dodgers


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POSTED: Saturday, October 11, 2008

PHILADELPHIA » Brett Myers stood on first base, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't explain his hitting success, and no one ever expected it.

Myers did better at the plate than on the mound, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and Shane Victorino drove in four runs as the Philadelphia Phillies overcame another homer by Manny Ramirez to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-5 yesterday for a 2-0 lead in the NL championship series.

“;I'm not a very good hitter,”; said Myers, who became the first pitcher to get three hits in an NLCS game. “;I just get lucky occasionally. I'm baffled by it. I would've rather pitched better.”;

A grieving Charlie Manuel was in the dugout with the Phillies, hours after the manager's mother died. Players and coaches from both teams offered condolences before the game. Manuel didn't speak to reporters.

“;I know Charlie told me he talked to his mom on a regular basis and her only concern was for him to go out and win ballgames,”; Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

The Phillies rallied around their skipper, and now they'll have to do the same for their spark-plug center fielder. Victorino, a St. Anthony graduate, was told after the game that his grandmother died yesterday.

Victorino hopes to attend the funeral in Hawaii without missing any games. No arrangements had been made yet, but Tuesday is a scheduled off day in the series.

Victorino made a clutch catch with two on to end the seventh.

“;He hit it well,”; Victorino said. “;I just told myself, try to get back.”;

Brad Lidge hung on in the ninth for his second save of the series. He walked Ramirez and James Loney, then struck out Matt Kemp and Nomar Garciaparra to end it.

“;We really wanted to win today for Charlie,”; Lidge said.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 tomorrow, with 45-year-old Jamie Moyer pitching for Philadelphia against Hiroki Kuroda.

Myers wasn't sharp on the mound, allowing five runs and six hits in five innings. Good thing for the Phillies that he's suddenly become a pesky batter after hitting .069 with one RBI in the regular season.

In Game 2 against Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs, Myers drew a two-out walk from CC Sabathia and Victorino hit a grand slam two batters later in a 5-2 win.

“;He had four hits all year and three today. That's tough to count on and defend against,”; Torre said.

Myers was surprised, too. At one point, he stood in the dugout, covered his eyes with one hand and feigned a swing with the other, showing a teammate how he did it.

The Phillies, appearing in their first NLCS in 15 years, are two wins from the World Series. They've won just one championship (1980) in the franchise's 126 years.

“;We're not comfortable until we're finished with this whole thing,”; Myers said. “;We're going to keep fighting.”;


Phillies 8, Dodgers 5

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

     

 

 

Los AngelesABRHBIBBSOAvg.
Furcal ss511002.111
Martin c421012.286
MRamirez lf411311.375
Ethier rf411012.375
Loney 1b402111.429
Kemp cf300022.143
Dewitt 2b200101.000
McDonald p100000.000
a-Garciaparra ph-3b201001.500
Blake 3b301010.143
Kershaw p000000—-
Wade p000000—-
Billingsley p100000.000
Park p000000—-
Beimel p000000—-
Kent 2b300000.000
Totals36585712

 

       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

     

 

 

PhiladelphiaABRHBIBBSOAvg.
Rollins ss511004.111
Victorino cf502400.222
Utley 2b100040.400
Howard 1b400012.000
Burrell lf401003.429
Bruntlett lf000010—-
Werth rf511002.125
Dobbs 3b322011.667
JRomero p000000—-
Madson p000000—-
Lidge p000000—-
Ruiz c421100.429
Myers p3233001.000
Durbin p000000—-
Feliz 3b100000.000
Totals358118712

 

       

                                                                                                                                                   

     

 

 

Los Angeles011300000581
Philadelphia04400000x8111

 

       

a-singled for McDonald in the 7th.
E—Kemp (1), Dobbs (1). LOB—Los Angeles 11, Philadelphia 10. 2B—Loney (1), Werth (1), Ruiz (1). 3B—Victorino (1). HR—MRamirez (1), off Myers. RBIs—MRamirez 3 (4), Loney (1), Dewitt (2), Victorino 4 (4), Ruiz (1), Myers 3 (3). GIDP—Kent.
Runners left in scoring position—Los Angeles 5 (Dewitt 2, Garciaparra, Blake, Billingsley); Philadelphia 5 (Rollins, Howard, Burrell 3).
Runners moved up—Dewitt, Howard.
DP—Philadelphia 1 (Rollins, Utley and Howard).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

     

 

 

Los AngelesIPHRERBBSONPERA
Billingsley L, 0-12 1/3 887355927.00
Park 1/3 1000190.00
Beimel000020120.00
McDonald3 1/3 20015600.00
Kershaw1 2/3 00011180.00
Wade 1/3 0000030.00

 

       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

     

 

 

PhiladelphiaIPHRERBBSONPERA
Myers W, 1-05655461029.00
Durbin H, 1110000100.00
JRomero H, 1 2/3 00011130.00
Madson H, 21 1/3 10002140.00
Lidge S, 2100023230.00

 

       

Beimel pitched to 2 batters in the 3rd.
Inherited runners-scored—McDonald 3-0, Wade 1-0, Park 2-2, Beimel 1-0, Madson 1-0.
IBB—off Billingsley (Dobbs) 1, off Myers (Blake) 1. WP—Myers.
Umpires—Home, Jerry Meals; First, Mike Everitt; Second, Ted Barrett; Third, Mike Winters; Left, Gary Cederstrom; Right, Mike Reilly.
T—3:33. A—45,883 (43,647).